420 THE TROPICAL WORLD. 



of trees, under which the rhinoceros passed, swept them from 

 their living deck, but they always recovered their former 

 station ; they also adhere to the rhinoceros during the night. 

 I have often shot these animals at midnight when drinking 

 at the fountains, and the birds imagining they were asleep, 

 remained with them till morning, and on my approaching, 

 before taking flight, they exerted themselves to their utmost 

 to awaken the rhinoceros from his deep sleep.' 



The black rhinoceroses are of a gloomy melancholy temper, 

 and not seldom fall into paroxysms of rage without any evident 

 cause, often ploughing up the ground for several yards with 

 their horn, and assaulting large bushes in the most violent 

 manner. On these they work for hours with their horns, at 

 the same time snorting and blowing loudly, nor do they leave 

 them in general until they have broken them into pieces. 

 Seeing the creatures in their wild haunts, cropping the 

 bushes, or quietly moving through the plains, you might take 

 them for the most inoffensive animals of all Africa, but when 

 roused to passion there is nothing more terrific on earth. 

 All the beasts of the wilderness are afraid of the uncouth 

 Borelo. The lion silentl}^ retires from its path, and even the 

 elephant is glad to get out of the way. Yet this brutal 

 and stupidly hoggish animal is distinguished by its parental 

 love, and the tenderness which it bestows on its young is re- 

 turned with equal affection. 



Although not gregarious, and most genemlly solitary or 

 grazing in pairs, yet frequently as many as a dozen rhinoceroses 

 are seen pasturing and browsing together. As is the case with 

 many other tropical animals, the huge beast awakens to a more 

 active life after sunset. It then hastens to the lake or river to 

 slake its thirst or to wallow in the mud, thus covering its hide 

 with a thick coat of clay, against the attacks of flies; or to 

 relieve itself from the itching of their stings, it rubs itself 

 against some tree, and testifies its inward satisfaction by a 

 deep-drawn grunt. During the night, it rambles over a great 

 extent of country, but soon after sunrise seeks shelter against 

 the heat under the shade of a tree or rock, where it spends the 

 greater part of the day in sleep, either stretched at full length 

 or in a standing position. Thus seen from a distance, it might 

 easily be mistaken for a huge block of stone. 



